Protect and Cradle
by MintSong
Summary: "Young one." The prone figure veered towards the deep voice. The dance of shadows in the dense fog around them continued, howls and screams calling from beyond view. The owner of the voice slid from the fog, congealing with each step, seemingly made from the fog itself. It shifted to one side. "You should be honored. The Dark Dragon sees potential in us." R and R
1. Chapter 1

Several Decades Ago

The mist rolled off the hills into the valley – the dense wisps tumbled down the jagged cliff sides in streams. It condensed on any porous surface at the same time. A small bead gathered in one of the many leaves, cradled in a dark green seam. It slipped, wavering on the tip before it fell to the weathered gravel below.

A darkened form hidden in shadowy undergrowth nestled in the valley's belly stirred as something dripped on its head. Sharp, pointed ears perked up and listened to the eerie quiet steeping. Other than that it didn't move. It dared not move, to even open its eyes. The bead started to inch passed its ear. It was annoying. The thing was a cold needle prick that slowly gained speed and ran part way down its spine, unsettling it. With each controlled breath, the heavy scent of the raising morning and damp earth filled its sense. No movements, no running footsteps but it knew better than to stir yet and gradually released its breath, calming its nerves, the warm mixture wafting into the air to join the fog, its brother. They were trackers by scent. They had to have found its hiding place by now. What were they waiting for? They . . .

"痴 ~ . . . 哇靠!"(Stupid . . . Oh, shoot/crap!) It spun, flexing its tail and swiped at the shifting shadows that flared out of the swirling fog – spines bared. The danced continue despite the growl that rumbled in its throat. Soft whispers beyond view grew to howls and screams in response, openly threatening. It took a fighting stance, its feet wide and claws dug deep in the ground, ready to leap out of the way of any that got too close.

"Young one."

Its gaze veered towards the deep voice, watching intensely as a shadow gained form. In front of it a figure slid from the fog. With each step towards the prone figure the shadow congealed, seemingly made from the fog itself. A large dog-like creature with a coat of shifting mist now stood in for the shadow, blue flames dancing around its neck and smoldering in its eyes. It shifted to one side.

"You should be honored. The Dark Dragon sees potential in us."

_Slinnnnnnnnnnnnnk._

Fu shot up in bed, pitched back and grabbed at his ears as a horrible din that drowned out his senses cascaded down the roof above him. Rolling back, his ears still covered, he kicked off his sheets. Stumbling at first but now completely awake he stormed to the side door, sliding it into the end of its rack with a sharp clack. Someone was going to pay.

He jumped down from the ledge to the damp ground, grimacing as the soft earth squished under his back paws. Fu took a couple of awkward steps before turning to gaze over the roof. The bright moon caused him to blink several times before he could make out the dark form damaging the roof. The waxing moon, almost full, framed a silhouette of a serpentine head hanging low on a thick neck that stretched up from the shadows. At its base it was connected to a body that heaved with each labored breath. Fu could hear heavy breathing. "Lao Shi?" He almost flinched as two embers focused on him. "You alright?" Fu moved back as the dragon slipped from the roof over the gutter towards the earth. He saw the dragon waver as his front arms touched the ground. They supported Lao Shi at first but soon collapsed, pitching him forward onto his forearms, the rest of his body following down the side of the wall from the roof.

"Just . . . tired," his voice was deeper than normal.

_His instincts have flared._ Fu hurried to him despite knowing the dangers of dragons when their instincts were in full force. "Shut up. How badly are you hurt?" No longer blinded by looking directly in the path of the moon's light Fu noticed several, oozing scratches on the side of his neck alone.

Lao Shi cleared his throat. "I'm fine," he said in a lighter tone.

"What happened?"

Lao Shi's head drooped until it almost settled on the ground. His sleepiness was starting to get the better of his senses. "There was trouble . . . on the main road leading to ChengShi. The nomadic kludde pack that moved in a couple weeks ago was going mad. They were attacking human travelers. Even some of their own pack."

"Well, they are known to get a bit rowdy . . ."

"This was different. This was bloodlust." Lao Shi saw his companion shift uneasily. He studied Fu with clearly tired eyes. Sensing his body faltering he leaned to the side towards the house. He tilted too far and his tail flopped over into a bush when he tried to steady himself. Digging his forearms into the earth, he pulled himself up on all fours. A soft hiss escaped, "I'm going to bed. Get Susan breakfast in the morning. A _proper_ breakfast." The word "proper" was more of a growl than English.

"Don't you worry. I'm great with the kid," a low chuckled escaped him. Lao Shi didn't answer.

Fu followed the dragon as he staggered in. He didn't voice it but he was clearly worried. Most fights he broke up didn't take this much out of him. Sliding the door closed he turned to face the room in its entirety. Pass the doorway into the next room Lao Shi, now in his human form, crouched over a small bed roll. He placed a gentle hand on a mess of black hair.

"My precious lotus flower . . ."


	2. Chapter 2

Note: "xie xie nin" is politer than "xie xie ni" Note number two: Susan is fairly young

Other, longer notes: The story is pretty slow paced for now. Do the conversions feel natural? Suggestions? Reviews? But don't be like a friend of mine and write "apple" as a review. Just . . . "apple."

"Fu?"

"Yeah?" He picked up the brush.

"When do you think I'll be able to fly?"

Brush at the ready, Fu craned his neck to see the small child's face. He followed her dreamy gaze to the window where lazy clouds where framed. "Don't know, kid." He looked back at the mess of bed head and sighed. He didn't see her glance at the far door.

"Is Baba still asleep?" She winced as the bristles caught a rat.

"Yep. He spent all day yesterday and was up really late last night doing his job as the Chinese Dragon. He's fine. Just needs some sleep." He pulled back the brush. His fingers pushed into the stiff bristles trying to pry loose the mass of hair that shortened their effective length. "I'm sure he'll take you flying. When he wakes up and gets some breakfast. Or supper."

"吃早饭," others phrases tumbled over her tongue.

"Whatcha doing?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Practicing zhong wen. Baba said I must learn both it and ying wen equally. Said ying wen is a really common language but zhong wen is another."

"You're pretty good at both now."

"Hmm." She didn't see Fu's ears perk. "But I want to fly on my own."

"Telegram!"

"Mail!" Susan scrambled forward. Fu barely managed to get the brush back from its prone position, tangled in her hair before she sprinted down the hall to the front door.

Outside, staring into the swirling grain patterns on the front door of a rather modest dwelling stood a young elf. Bored with that, his gaze shifted to the soft clouds that had rolled in - it was supposed to shower tonight.

_Cl - rash._

Startled, he teetered back and stumbled down a couple steps. The door in front of him flew to the side, clacking against the side of its rack as a young girl faced him and beamed brightly.

"Mail?"

"Shi." (Yes – it's pronounced with an "er" sound on the end) His hand reached far into the small bag draped over his shoulder, further down than it should have gone. From its recesses, the hand pulled out a simple, yellow folded slip. "To Loung Lao Shi."

The small girl took it with both hands, studying it closely. "Xie xie nin!" (to politely thank you or thank you "honored person") She disappeared back into the house as a dog standing on its back legs strolled up.

"Don't mind her. Who's it from?"

"Someone by the name of Chang. Sign here, please."

"Chang? Wait, as in that chick," he paused his pen, grimacing as he remembered the incident where he had spit kitty litter into her hair when he had first met her - accidently of course.

"Sorry," He caught the dog's attention, "but I have lots of letters to deliver." He patted his small bag. "It's my first day. Need to make a good impression on the boss."

"Oh, um, congratulations. Bye!"

"Xie xie nin. Zai jiang! (good bye)"

Fu shut the door behind him and looked at the turned over table and its scattered contents and released an irritated sigh.

Susan dashed down the hall and skidded almost into the bedroom door. He was probably still asleep. She shifted from foot to foot, contemplating between her choices. "Uh." She gripped the notch and pulled the door open. "Baba," she whispered. The blankets of the bed roll beside the spot where her bed roll had been gently rose and fell. She tiptoed to it gently. A tentative finger hooked over the edge of the blanket and pulled back. "Baaaabaaaa," she sang softly. He didn't stir. She straightened, inhaled deeply, and leaned directly over his partly covered face and smiled.

Susan jumped down the last couple of steps to the first stone in the path. She turned, waiting to see Fu finally coming down the hall to the door. "Come on, Fu! We need to go!"

"Yeah, yeah." The dog idly strolled forward. He stalled and turned back partly. "You sure you can handle her in your condition? That," a slick smile spread halfway across one half of his face. He let out a chuckle, "vixen-" Lao Shi cleared his voice, his eyes darting to preoccupied child behind Fu. Fu turned to see Susan watching something in the trees. "Oh, right, but keep a line open."

"I will be fine. I'm a grown man. I can take care of myself."

"If you say so," Fu threw back. He smirked as he sprinted off, recovering the distance between him and Susan.

Lao Shi watched them leave but his mind slowly turned its attention to the letter partly crumpled in his hand as the two traveled further away. Why was Chang coming here? As far as he knew she was native to the Hong Kong area. Why would she after all this time hunt him down and travel this far inland for a "casual" visit? He brought the letter up to look at it.


	3. Chapter 3

Big Note: I know that main land China and the city of Hong Kong have two different dialects that are mainly spoken – Mandarin and Cantonese, respectively. I'm now aware that Lao Shi's family is from Hong Kong, not the main land and thus would have traces of the Cantonese dialect in their English but the Chinese phrase will stay in Mandarin for now because one, I don't know Cantonese and two, they're in mainland China for the fic so . . . and about being hundreds of miles too far, let's just say they moved to . . . escape. But not from the Dark Dragon.

Turning the corner, Susan stumbled in her skip. She stopped to look at her foot, the cause of the problem, and saw a small streak of grey clashing against the deep black on the side of her tiny shoe. Her lips pursed. Baba wasn't going to be happy, she sung in her head. Worry of being scolded stir the urge to look around her, fearful she would find Baba with a frown plastered on his face. When she did turn she didn't see him or even the house – just Fu lugging himself up the last leg of the hill some distance from her. "Come on, Fu, we are going to be late!" His face lifted up to look at her. It soon dipped back down, shaking slightly. She pouted and spun, the edges of her little skirt flaring up, and continued down the road. It would lead her to the market, she remembered. Pass that where the trees grew really tall, probably three lengths of Baba's dragon form, and were covered in thick, fuzzy moss was Xing Lao Lao's house (Grandma or the Elderly Xing). She giggled, remembering the velvet feel running under her hand and how, when she had lifted her hand up, her hand had sparkled with fairy dust. What she didn't know was how her father had to repeatedly apologize for his child messing up the fairies' lighted roads.

Further down the road she paused again, following her nose to one of the open stalls. Steam bellowed up from slacks on the side held open by poles. The clacking and the more beautiful sounds of bell-like tings of pans could be heard. She anxiously looked for Fu who still was a few meters behind her. "Fu!" He looked up at her. "Let's get some snacks!"

"Young lady, you just had breakfast," he shortened the final distance between him and the child. Slightly panting he leaned over. The kid walked too fast. Looking down he noticed his belly and a sheepish grin slowly crawled across his face, remembering what Lao Shi had said.

"Fu? You okay?" The dog hadn't straightened up yet. He was starting to make her worry. She folded into herself, balancing on the balls of her feet, and twisted her face to look at Fu who quickly noticed the girl's antics.

"Enough dilly-dallying, kid! You're going to be late."

She pouted. "That what I said!"

"Hmph! You're the one who wanted snacks."

Susan's little form sharply straightened, turned and skipped ahead insulted.

* * *

Twirling around, the soft fabric of her dress lifted and danced. Staring up into the web of branches above her, the light streaming down through the leaves like a stained glass window, she giggled. Oh, the places she would explore once she could fly.

"Susan? Come on, kid. Jeez, you're so rambunctious today."

Her twirling ended in the manner of a sharp salute facing Fu Dog, the ruffles of her dress wrapping around her then drifting free. He had almost reached the door. "Wait, I want to ring the bell!"

"Then get up here and ring it." Fu watched her run full force at him and the door, jumping out of the way as she darted up the steps in front of him. "Only ring it once now, k?"

"Shi." She could hear Fu's heavy footsteps behind her. Today they were going to make crafts for the festival in a few days to hang up at their homes. There would probably be festive snacks and old stories. She teetered back and forth waiting for the door to open. She beamed brighter as the door clicked.

"Oh, Susan. Fu." An elderly woman greeted them warmly with a relieved smile. "Susan. Why don't you go play with the others in the court yard? We'll start making jianzhi (paper cuttings) and puppets as soon as I finished asking Fu some questions."

"Okay," she beamed, briskly walking off to a side door she knew would get her where she wanted.

The elderly caregiver turned to Fu with a somber expression. Her worry clearly pronounced in her creased winkles. "Come into the kitchen." She gestured to the dutch door (I don't know the proper name). "We'll have some tea."

Fu pulled out the chair closest to him – simple and wooden but beautiful and functional at the same time. The air was scented with fragrances from the many spice jars and drying herbs that laced the small room.

"Is Lao Shi alright?" The kettle pot clinked as she settled it in its rack.

"Hm?"

"This is a small town, Fu. Big news spreads like wild fire and a whole pack of Kludde going mad and attacking its own as well as nearby human encampments is no small incident."

"He's fine. Just a little scratched up."

"He was there, wasn't he? What happened in the pass to ChengShi?"

"From what he told me it is essentially like you said: a pack of Kludde had a coup from within by a smaller group and things got way out of hand." He watched the tea fill his cup.

"The report from the village guard said there were causalities, a fair number of them and that many of the pack are not accounted for."

"It was a pack of Kludde. They are not the most sociable species and the village guard probably doesn't have the actual number of members. We're just lucky that there were no fatalities."

She placed her cup down and gave the dog a stern look. "Some of those unaccounted for are rumored to be the ones that started it all. The incident was too close to this village. I- we need to know if there is a danger to the village. I cannot have the children walking home on their own when lunatics with big teeth are possibly running around in the forest."


	4. Chapter 4

Susan slid open the door and jumped down to the cobbled stones below. "Lin!" A young cervitaur's head popped up from a small crowd of children. Her long ears perked up as she looked around confused. She finally noticed Susan when she started to sprint to her.

"Susan!" The girl stumbled a bit on her wobbly legs, still shaky like that of a fawn. Once free of the crowd she gracefully bounded to her friend. "Come play with us! Alfonse has some MushPunsh seeds. In a few minutes they'll be huge," she delicate arms flew out to her sides to describe the motion, "and then we can bounce on them and stuff!"

"Cool! Let me see!" Susan quickly trotted to the group of children, her friend bounded by her side. The rest of the children seemed to be encircling something on the ground. "Let me see," she called, gently inching her way through the crowd of quiet giggling. Some of the others were stubborn and she ended up more or less crawling pass their legs (and Hop's tentacles). Her head finally popping out from the wall of legs she could see a small, simple mound surrounded by gravel.

* * *

The children had mostly scattered now, taking seats here and there around the small mound. Most were dangling their limbs from their seat on the ledge of the walkway while some had simply sat down near it. The MushPunsh weren't growing. There was some small talk as to why but no one could really decide the exact cause. Eventually, everyone more or less agreed that they should at least water the seeds but Xing Lao Lao was busy talking. They'll have to get the water themselves.

The well was at the back of the house, some twenty yards in a clearing with nothing more than grass surrounding it. It was well beyond that point before the dense forest started growing again. It was Lin, though, who brought up the warning most of them had heard this morning.

Earlier in the day, after many of their parents had returned from a village meeting or were told by their friends that had gone, they had return with stern warnings to not go outside the village's outer bounds. There was possible danger that could get into the barrier around the village. Many rebuttal her worry - they were well within the village's official bounds. They teased her, stating that she was skittish. Lin wrapped her arms around her torso tightly, a back hoof dug nervously in the gravel.

"I'm not skittish. Just because I'm part deer doesn't make me skittish." Several of the other children pulled faces.

"Yeah," Susan called. They weren't getting away with that one.

Teasing continued but Lin had had enough. She bounded up the steps to the walkway, her hooves clacking against the wood beams, and sprinted down to the door. Susan ran after her, calling to her, but she was already out of sight. Both left the other children with worried expressions plastered on their faces.

* * *

At first she timidly looked over her surroundings. Nothing stirred. She inched forward, counting the steps her hooves took. The grass tickled her lower legs, the urge to scratch them growing but still overwhelmed by the sense of the possibility of danger. Gathering her courage she quickly leaped to the well and hid huddled up against the cold, smooth stone that surrounded it. She straightened, her ears swiveling side to side. It seemed alright.

"Lin!"

Lin jumped a good several feet into the air. The moment her hooves touched earth she stumbled behind the well to hide from the voice. She looked over the stone foundation to see her friend walking towards the well. "Oh. Hi, Susan."

"Hmph!"

Lin trotted towards her, obviously still nervous. Her gaze settled on Susan's face, a clearly upset face. "Ah."

Susan smiled. "Don't go on adventures without me." Lin relaxed at the quip. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Are we going to get the water?" Her smile grew as Lin, herself, smiled.

"Yup," she giggled. She trotted over to the well and picked up the bucket next to it.

Whispering caught Susan's attention and she turned to the door. In the door's framework the worried faces of the others were framed. When they noticed her looking at them they started to call to them, telling them to get back inside. "Hmph, 'fraidy cats." She called out. Her hands came to rest on her hips. "Weren't you just telling us it wasn't dangerous?"

They grew quiet. "Come on. What if something actually comes out of the forest and eats you guys? Then it would be our fault."

Susan made a rude noise. She turned to Lin again, watching her slender form working the pull lever. Slender but she was really strong. She remembered meeting her dad once and he was huge! And the antlers that grew from his head were really pointy. They must be heavy. She giggled absentmindedly. Probably not as heavy as Baba's tail. He once accidently took out a post by simple moving it to the side and didn't realize until part of the building fell on his tail.

"Susan!" One of the boys urged quietly.

She turned to them dramatically. They were still going at it? She studied the others. They seemed . . . actually upset.

"Arrhhhhhhhhh!"

Susan turned to Lin, briefly noticing the forgotten bucket and its contents spilling onto the ground. Lin was looking at a hulking creature. It looked like a bull. It pretty much was a bull but its eyes glowed like embers and its large horns gleamed of gold. The creature pounded its front hoof against the earth, scraping away the soft grass and exposing fresh, brown mud. Its nostrils flared and blew hot, billowing smoke into Lin's face.


	5. Chapter 5

Note: please comment on how the 'transitions' affect the story

The bell dangling from the door jingled as Lao Shi entered. It was a small restaurant but pleasant. He hid his chuckled. Just a few years ago he would have scoffed at its country feel but he didn't really mind those things anymore. Guess he wasn't quite the hothead like he was. He wondered how Fu actually felt about the lack of city life around here. He was probably happy about getting away from his debts.

He tried to focus. He didn't see Chang anywhere. Perhaps she had changed as much as he supposed he had. With the incident in Hong Kong with the Dark Dragon, Susan unexpectedly coming along . . . memories of yesterday flooded his mind. The way some of the young Kludde were hunted down - the Kludde didn't keep order in the pack that way. And yet, when he had interrupted one of the fights where several of the coup members had ganged up on an adolescent pup something didn't feel right. The things they had said unnerved him as they had encircled them in a tight circle, singing low and openly threatening taunts, snapping at their legs and tails. Fangs bared, long and slim, clacking against each other. He could remember the pup trembling as it hid under his form as he had tried to catch his breath. By then he had already fought off others that had attacked the hum-

"Lao Shi! Over here!"

His attention was called over to a booth. He couldn't see the occupant's face but the voice was familiar. Passing a bubbly waitress, her arms carrying a heavy tray of streaming plates, he took a seat in the booth opposite of the young woman. He could clearly remember that smirk when he first met her that night in Hong Kong. "Chang." He smiled back.

"It's been a long time."

"Indeed." He paused. "When I got your letter I was curious. What brings you to the mainland?"

"You," she took a sip of her tea.

He hid his surprised reaction. "Oh?"

"For several years now you have been staying out of the limelight. That is not like you at all. You use to go to all the parties but I haven't heard once about anyone seeing you at your old clubs haunts." Her smirk returned. "Avoiding reporters have got you a reputation for hiding something."

"Family matters." She calmly looked up at him. "I needed space to . . . figure things out. With my duties as the Chinese Dragon and these matters I have not had much free time." A smirk of his own crawled across his face. "I bet the ladies miss me."

"Oh, they do. They eat up any rumors they can get about you."

"I do not know if I should be flattered."

"It's a double edged sword," the tea cup barely scuffed on the table as she placed it down. "Your main territory was in Hong Kong. Tell me, why are you this far inland?"

"Business – professional and personal."

"Care to elaborate."

"There has been trouble brewing and I have been trying to find a way to settle it."

"Is that the professional or personal business?"

He paused. He didn't know if he should talk about the witness sightings here. Eventually he decided he would work up to it. He didn't necessarily have to involve Chang. "I assume you heard what happened to the Kludde pack camping in the ChengShi Pass yesterday."

There was a glint in her eyes. "Yes. News of the incident should be reaching the coastline by now."

"The coastline?"

"Like you said: trouble is brewing. The Peoples of the Magical World are getting edgy. Especially in the Eastern Sectors." She watched a frown spread across his face.

His gaze settled to the table. "Perhaps I am not doing enough to keep the peace."

"I'm sure you're doing the job to the best of your abilities."

He coyly glanced around, his decision made. If she agreed, he could really use Chang's backup. He just needed to make sure rumors didn't start and cause fears to get out of control. "In addition, I have intel that there is a possibility that the Clan is encroaching into the province," he whispered.

"You mean rumors."

"I mean witnesses to suspicious activities. Fu and I-"

"Oh, don't tell me that _dog_ is still following you around." Chang's expression clearly displayed her dislike.

"He has proven himself many times to me since we first met him. I trust him to have my back."

"I know his type. How much of that trouble he has helped you with did he cause?"

He paused.

The next line was cut off as the waiter stopped at the table. "XianSheng (Sir), nin yao dian shen me (what would you like to order)?"

"Ah. Yi bei molihua cha (One cup of jasmine tea)."

"Shi."

They both watched as the woman waltzed away, a chirpy but jolly tune whistling from her beak.

Lao Shi returned his focus to Chang. "I trust him. That is all I need." There was a pause as Chang took a sip, seemingly absorbing this tidbit of information.

"And you are telling me this why?"

"I have a bad feeling."

"Oh?"

"It is as if something is stirring up both the Clan and certain species of the Peoples. Species with valuable traits."

Chang held her instinct to fidget. "You do not think it's . . . him, do you?"

"It cannot be. It shouldn't. He was taken down but then again no body was recovered from the bay."

"Then where does that leave us?"

"If anything happens I could use your help either as backup or-or . . . as a line to the Dragon Council."

"That bad?"

"Not necessarily but I do not want to take a chance when the Clan is apparently organizing for something."

"So-"

"Aiwen!" A satyrs abruptly swung open the door. "Aiwen! Get the whip. That darn bull has escaped." He teetered over the counter to peer into the back kitchen. The waitress urgently sat down her tray to join the arguing couple.

Chang noticed Lao Shi perk up at the word "bull." "Any trouble?"

"Likely. This region keeps khalkotauroi as livestock." He started getting up from the table. "We can't have that creature getting outside the village's outer bounds or it could be discovered by traveling humans. Let's see what we can do. We can pay as we offer our services."

Note: Friend: Yes, LS, drag her into the town's troubles. That won't end wrong at all.


End file.
